The Pain of Our Hearts
by trustpixiedust
Summary: The battle with the Wicked Witch has escalated, and she's only after one person. Emma. But there is a certain pirate that can't let that happen. How far will he go to protect the woman he loves?


**Hello readers! I was inspired yesterday to write this little one shot. I remembered how Killian was knocked out last time Emma almost got her heart pulled out, and it made me interested to see how he would react now. I know I should probably be working on Soulmates Never Die, but I've hit writer's block so hard with that fic. Here's hoping I can update it soon. **

** Please read and review! Lots of love! xx**

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Everything was blurred by the cloud of green smoke, leaving everyone disoriented. Screeches of monkeys echoed in the air with the occasional sound of swords clashing.

"Emma!" a voice calls through the fog.

"David! I'm fine! Get Mary Margaret out of here!" Emma yells back, her eyes never leaving the smoke in front of her. Despite the adrenaline flowing through her veins, Emma feels worried. She's worried about Henry. She's worried about her parents. She's worried about her unborn sibling. She's worried about Killian. She was the Savior, the one that was supposed to protect them all. She couldn't even think about what she would do if something happened to them.

"The Savior versus the Witch, s. Sounds exciting," a voice says from inside the fog. Emma braces her heels on the ground and stands taller.

"You think that you can just wave your hands and everything will go your way? You think you can just show up and curse my family and friends without the repercussions? I know for a fact that magic always comes with a price!" Emma yells into the fog, her eyes still searching for movement.

"Oh darling, wicked always wins," the sickly sweet voice was closer, and a second later a figure comes out of the fog. The Wicked Witch gives Emma a wide smile as she draws closer.

"Not this time," Emma says, staring hard at the green-skinned woman that was now only a few feet away.

"Oh, I _love _you hero types…always thinking that you can get a happy ending. Blah, blah, blah. Hope and all that," the Witch says, flicking her hand in the air as if she was dismissing the mere concept of hope. She stops inches away from Emma, the wide grin on her face threatening to swallow her whole. Her hand comes up and seems dangerously close to plunging itself into Emma's chest.

There was a brief second where Emma realized what she was going to do. She tried to stop the smile that threatened at the corners of her mouth. The Witch couldn't pull out her heart, and that was where Emma had her.

Right before the black nails scratch their way into her chest, there is a yell. Both Emma and Zelena unconsciously take a step back from each other as the yell washes over them. A form pushes Emma aside, causing her to stumble back. She falls back on the hard ground, her hands scraping painfully on the rough ground. She whipped her head back up to see a figure in front of the Witch, blocking her way to Emma.

"I won't let you touch her. No matter what you think about happy endings, I know one thing for sure about Emma Swan. She will have one," the figure says in a rough voice. It takes Emma a few seconds to fight past the fog in her brain to register who pushed her out of the way.

"Killian what are you doing?" she asks, struggling up into a standing position.

"What I'll always do, love. Protect you." With those last words still hanging on his lips, Zelena gives a cackle and shoves her hand deep into Killian's chest. He grimaces, but stands strong, fighting against the feeling that was trying to bring him to his knees.

"No! What're you doing?" Emma was screaming, and she stumbles forward towards the two black-clad bodies. She reached them a second too late, and the Witch triumphantly held a beating heart in her hand. Killian swayed, and Emma grabbed at his arm, holding him up and pulling him closer to her.

"Interesting," the green woman whispers, letting a finger trail along an unseen pattern on the heart. "Your heart is almost as black as mine, pirate."

"You can go to-" Emma starts to say but with the flick of the Witch's finger she is silenced.

"Ah, ah, I wasn't done. I was saying that his heart is black and full of sorrow. Yet, there seems to be a golden thread of light wrapped around the outside just here," Zelena says, looking up at the pair with a small smile. She observes the ice in Killian's eyes and sees the corresponding panic in Emma's. "Ohhh, I see. The pirate fell for the Savior. How touching." She accompanies the last two words with a small squeeze to the heart in her hand and Killian trembles.

"Give me his heart," Emma says in a dangerously low tone. She steps closer to the Witch and holds out her hand, palm up.

"I don't think I will," the woman responds, giving a gleeful smile as she squeezes the heart once more. Emma hears Killian gasp, and there is the faint sound of him dropping to his knees. "Well we're all aware that he loves you, Emma. Question is, do you feel the same?" She gives another squeeze and Killian lets out a small cry.

"Stop it!" Emma cries out, her eyes wide with panic. She was only slightly aware that the green smoke around them was slowly dissipating, and there was a small crowd gathered around. Only the feeling of absolute fear was pumping through her veins. She cringed every moment the Witch's hand twitched around the heart. Emma was feeling the fear of losing another person in her life slowly creeping up on her.

"Oh! You do feel something for the pirate," Zelena says, letting out another rough laugh.

"Emma…please look at me," a soft voice whispers, and she turns to see Killian on his knees, wide blue eyes looking up at her. She moves closer to him, and his soft hand envelopes hers. "I want you to be happy," he says, and swallows hard. He pauses and stares off into the distance for a second, looking like he was struggling to find the right words. "I've told you where my affections lie, and they will never change. I lo-" His words are cut short when he gasps and rips his hand out of hers to claw at his chest.

"Touching, really," the Witch says from behind them, "But I'm getting a little bored." Her fingers twitch, and her fingernails dig into the heart. Emma watches, helpless, as Killian struggles to breath. He gives her one last smile, and his eyes flutter closed.

"Don't you dare die on me, pirate!" Emma screams out. Her feelings of panic were almost overwhelming, and she was struggling to control her shaking hands. A warm feeling rushes around in her, but all she can see is Killian lying motionless on the ground. Pictures flash behind her eyes, showing her all of the people who left her. Her parents. The Swans. Neal. Emma blinks back tears, and she stands up. She refuses to lose another person in her life, she couldn't handle it.

"Don't you see? Love is weakness," Zelena says, echoing Cora's words from before. Emma takes one deep breath and turns her eyes to the woman.

"No, it's not. It's strength," she says, also echoing her words to Cora. There was a brief flash of white, and all the warm feelings in Emma seem to rush out in every direction. There was a scream of pain from the Wicked Witch, and suddenly it was silent. Emma swayed on her feet, feeling like there was an emptiness in all her body.

"Emma!" a cry echoes before she is pulled into a warm embrace. She weakly wraps her arms around David and gives a small sigh. "It's over. You saved us." David pulls back from the hug and gives her a beaming smile.

"Wait…Killian…" Emma mumbles and turns away from her father. He's lying still on the ground, and Emma's heart clenches. He can't be dead.

"Emma…his heart," David says, pointing a few feet away. There was his heart, resting on the ground. Emma walks over and gently picks it up.

"Come on pirate, come back to me," she whispers, cradling her treasure. She kneels down beside him before she realizes that she doesn't know what to do. "Regina! You have to put his heart back!" She cries out, calling for the woman that stood a few feet away.

"It has to be you Emma. Love always makes magic stronger," she says, giving her a small smile.

"But…I can't….love…" she mumbles, looking down at the beating object in her hands. She looks up at David with tears gathering in her eyes.

"Emma, sweetie, you can do it," he whispers, putting a warm hand on her shoulder. Panic wells up in her agiain, but this time it's because she's afraid she could hurt him. What if she puts it in the wrong way?

"Killian…I…I love you," she whispers, hoping that no one heard her declaration. She hadn't really gotten around to admitting her feelings, and she still wasn't even sure what she felt. Although, looking at the man on the ground, almost dead because he protected her, she felt a rush of affection. With that, she pushed his heart over his chest, a little surprised when it slid back in easily.

There was a pause where everyone seemed to hold their breath, and the air was still. Emma tried to squish the traitorous thoughts of him being dead before she broke down on the street.

Suddenly there was a gasp, and blue eyes fluttered open.


End file.
